Currently, digital picture frames include a display in which images are displayed and a border for creating a decorative design and also functioning as a true-touch interface. The true-touch interface includes sensors which, when the border is touched, activate a designated mode of operation associated with the touched region; for example, play, fast forward, play in reverse order, and the like. Digital picture frames such as the Kodak® EASYSHARE® M820 Digital Frame with Home Decor Kit include this feature.
There are also true-touch displays currently available on kiosks. For example, the Kodak® Picture Maker includes true-touch displays in which the user presses against the display at the location of a particular icon to initiate the particular mode of operation associated with the region of the display (icon) the user has pressed. The Kodak® Picture Maker is used to create hardcopy pictures.
Although the presently known and utilized digital picture frames are satisfactory and successful, improvements are always desired. In particular, this invention ascertained that there is a desire for improvements in user interface design so that dominance of a single type of user interface modality does not limit the experience of the digital picture frame. For example, it is not always readily apparent to an inexperienced consumer how to activate and use the true-touch user interface of a current digital picture frame.
Consequently, a need exists for digital picture frames having multiple user interface modes for enhancing and/or simplifying the user experience.